55% of respondents believe that a decision to ban Russian athletes from the Rio 2016 Olympics is political.
MOSCOW, July 28, 2016. Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) presents the data of the survey describing the Russian reaction to the doping scandal related to the Russian participation in the Rio 2016 Summer Games.
Most of Russians (55%) do not believe that Russian doping cases are massive, and consider that the international organizations’ accusations are politically motivated. One-third of Russians (31%) think that the banned substances are used not only in Russia but in other sport nations; thus, it is unjust to punish only Russia.
Russians perceive the Russian doping scandal in a very negative way: most of them are disappointed (42%), rarer they express condemnation (20%), anger (13%, etc. Only 12% are indifferent.
Respondents consider that those who are to blame for the use of the prohibited substance are doctors (33%), sports bodies’ officials (28%), rather than athletes (27%) or coaches (21%).
Every sixth (15%) is confident that Russian authorities should prove the innocence of the athletes and defend their interests at the court. Every tenth (9%) would like the doping control procedures to be strengthened; a further 5% support conducting an investigation and punishing the guilty. Three percent of respondents opt for a boycott of the Olympic Games. Remarkably, the majority of Russians (54%) failed to propose any measures.
The reaction of the Russian president (on the one hand, his decision to suspend temporarily the work of certain officials; on the other hand, his demand to provide evidence of violations) is supported by most of Russians (89%).
The VCIOM survey was carried out on July 23-24, 2016 in 130 settlements, 46 regions and 9 federal districts of Russia. The sample size involved 1600 persons. The survey was conducted with multi-stage stratified sample based on general rule of walking and quotas at the final selection stage; the sample is representative of the Russian population aged 18 and over, according to sex, age, education, type of settlement. The margin of error (taking into account the design effect) with 95% confidence interval does not exceed 3.5%. The survey method is community-based formalized face-to-face interviews. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the field work can introduce bias into the survey.
International organizations accuse Russian athletes of mass use of prohibited substances (doping). Which of the following statements do you most agree with? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and more |
These allegations are true; Russian athletes are guilty of mass doping | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
The allegations are nothing but a “political hit job” of certain countries whose athletes compete for gold with our athletes. What is true is that there is no any mass doping in Russia | 55 | 45 | 57 | 57 | 52 | 60 |
The use of doping is really massive in Russia but this is common in any country whose athletes perform well at international competitions. And if it is only Russia to be punished, this is nothing but pure injustice and “political hit job” | 31 | 35 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 25 |
Don’t know | 7 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
What feelings does the Russian doping scandal evoke in you? (closed-ended question, not more than two answers, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Negative | |
Disappointment | 42 |
Condemnation | 20 |
Angry | 13 |
Distrust | 12 |
Dislikes | 4 |
Skepsis | 3 |
Positive | |
Hope | 9 |
Calmness | 4 |
Respect | 2 |
Admiration | 1 |
Trust | 1 |
Likes | 0 |
Neutral | |
Indifference | 12 |
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Don’t know | 8 |
If Russian athletes massively use doping, and this is the reason why they are banned from participating in the Olympics, who is to blame for that? (closed-ended question, not more than two answers, % of those who believe that Russian athletes are massively doped) | |
| Total respondents |
Doctors who track the health of athletes | 33 |
Ministry of Sport | 28 |
Athletes themselves | 27 |
Coaches | 21 |
International Olympic organizations | 16 |
Other | 5 |
Don’t know | 10 |
In your opinion, how should Russian authorities respond to this doping scandal? (open-ended question, any number of answers; answers named by at least 1% of respondents) | |
| Total respondents |
To prove innocence, defend the interests at the court | 15 |
To strengthen the doping control | 9 |
To conduct an investigation /To punish the guilty | 5 |
Boycott of Olympic Games | 3 |
Dismissal of coaches, minister of sport, doctors | 3 |
To smoother up the scandal/to ignore the situation | 3 |
To prepare the athletes more thoroughly | 2 |
To seek possibilities of participation of those who are not guilty | 2 |
To ban doping | 2 |
To carry out alternative competitions | 1 |
To identify the betrayers (“request to extradite the former Russian official who has overblown the scandal and to commit him for trial in Russia”) | 1 |
To suspend athletes for doping | 1 |
Tough retaliatory measures | 1 |
Other | 1 |
Nothing | 2 |
Don’t know | 54 |
The President Putin recognized that certain Russian athletes had been doped and suspended the work of those Russian officials who are accused by the international organizations. Simultaneously, he required the international organizations to provide evidence of violations. In your opinion, was his decision right or wrong? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |
| Total respondents |
Likely right | 89 |
Right wrong | 4 |
Don’t know | 7 |
Note: Using materials from the websites www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory.